Suicide attack kills 89, injures 83 in Pak on new year day

PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: A suicide bomber drove his explosives-laden vehicle into a crowded volleyball playground in northwest Pakistan today, killing at least 89 people and injuring over 80 others, marking a bloody start to the new year.

The attack occurred at Shah Hasankhel village, located 25 km from Lakki Marwat in the southern part of North West Frontier Province. A large crowd was watching a volleyball game between two local teams when the bomber struck at 5.30 pm.

At least 89 bodies and 83 injured people were taken to a hospital in Lakki Marwat, Geo News channel reported.

In a separate attack, a tribal elder associated with an anti-Taliban militia and five others were killed when the vehicle they were travelling in was targeted with a roadside bomb in the restive Bajaur region.

The bomber drove his car onto the field and detonated the explosives, district police chief Ayub Khan said. Over 20 nearby houses and several shops collapsed and several people were feared to be stilled buried in the debris, he said.

The attack might have been in retaliation for efforts by residents of Shah Hasankhel to keep the Taliban out of the area. "The village was a stronghold of militants and the local people set up a militia and expelled militants from the area. The attack seems to be a reaction (by the militants)," Khan said.